1984 anti-Sikh riots: HC seeks police response on convict's plea challenging death sentence

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Tuesday sought a response by the police on a plea by Yashpal Singh challenging the death sentence awarded to him in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

Singh has filed the appeal against his conviction and sentence by a trial court here. He has also filed a bail plea in the matter. A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal also issued notice to Singh on the reference to confirm his death sentence. The bench issued production warrant for Singh, who is currently lodged in the Tihar Jail since his conviction by the trial court on November 14. 

He was sentenced to death on November 20. The bench listed the matter for further hearing on December 19. The trial court had also awarded life term to co-convict Naresh Sherawat in the case over the killing of two men in New Delhi during the 1984 riots -- the first convictions in the cases reopened by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). The Delhi Police had closed the case in 1994 for want of evidence, but it was reopened by the SIT.